Lesson 1: The fire safety plan
Most larger buildings in Canada must have a fire safety plan. The rules are in Section 2.8 of the National Fire Code and the provincial fire codes based on it. The plan is prepared with the local fire department.
What the plan covers
- What to do in a fire: sounding the alarm, calling the fire department, and evacuating, with special provisions for persons requiring assistance
- Who the supervisory staff are and what each person does
- Training for supervisory staff and other occupants
- The fire protection systems, where they are and how they work
- Fire drills, control of fire hazards, and maintenance of safety equipment
In the Alberta edition of the code, the plan must be reviewed at least every 12 months. It must be kept in the building for the fire department and supervisory staff. In a high building, it is kept at the central alarm and control facility. The emergency procedures must be posted on each floor area.
Lesson 2: Who does what
Buildings organize staff into a fire emergency team. Names vary from site to site. A common set of roles is:
| Role | Main duties |
|---|---|
| Building fire marshal or chief fire warden | Leads the team, keeps the plan up to date, runs drills, and is the contact for the fire department |
| Deputy | Takes over when the leader is away |
| Floor warden | Teaches people on the floor what to do, checks daily for hazards, sweeps the floor in an evacuation and reports it clear |
| Monitors or helpers | Assist people who need help to leave, following a plan made in advance |
| Security | Often meets the fire department, gives keys and information, and controls entrances |
The code says supervisory staff must be trained before they are given any fire safety duties. Keys or tools needed to operate the fire alarm or other systems must be readily available to the staff on duty.
Lesson 3: Fire drills and being ready
Fire drills let staff practise their duties before a real emergency. The Alberta edition of the National Fire Code sets minimum drill frequencies, for example:
| Building or occupancy | Minimum drill frequency |
|---|---|
| Most buildings (supervisory staff) | At least every 12 months |
| Daycares and care, treatment or detention occupancies | At least every month |
| Schools attended by children | At least 3 total evacuation drills in each of the fall and spring terms |
| High buildings | At least every 2 months |
| Laboratories | At least every 3 months |
Other provinces use similar rules, but always check the code and plan that apply to your site.
Be ready on every shift
- Know at least two ways out of each area
- Know where the pull stations, extinguishers and assembly point are
- Know who needs help to evacuate and who their helpers are
- Check that exits and stairs are clear on every patrol
Lesson 4: When the alarm sounds
Typical fire orders tell everyone in the building to:
- Warn others if you see fire or smoke, pull the nearest manual alarm and call 911.
- Leave by the nearest safe exit. Close doors behind you.
- Walk quickly, do not run. Keep to the side of the stairs so firefighters can pass.
- If the stairway is blocked, use your alternate route.
- Do not use the elevators unless the fire department specifically allows it.
- Go to the assembly point and stay there.
An evacuation from alarm to head count.
- The alarm sounds and people are warned.
- Helpers assist people who need help to leave.
- Everyone leaves by the nearest safe exit.
- People gather at the assembly point.
- Wardens count people and report to the fire department.
Elevators can stop working or open onto a fire floor. In many buildings they return to the ground floor during an alarm and are kept for firefighters.
Lesson 5: Floor sweeps and people who need help
A floor warden, which may be a guard, makes sure the floor is empty. Common duties include:
- Clear the area near the fire first, then the rest of the floor
- Check rooms where people may not hear the alarm, such as washrooms, storage rooms and meeting rooms
- Be the last to leave the floor
- Report to the person in charge that the floor is clear, or who is still inside and where
Persons requiring assistance
Some people need help to leave, for example people who use a wheelchair, people with low vision, or people who are injured. The fire safety plan must include special provisions for them. The St. John's fire safety planning procedures suggest:
- Floor wardens keep a list of the names and locations of people who need help
- Two monitors are assigned to each person, with a plan made in advance
- If someone cannot be moved, tell the fire department right away exactly where they are
Lesson 6: At the assembly point and after
Once outside, keep people together at the assembly point, away from the building and out of the way of fire trucks. The St. John's sample fire orders say to move at least 100 m from the building unless told otherwise. Your site's plan sets the place and distance.
Security's job when the fire department arrives
- Meet the first fire truck at the main entrance
- Report who is missing or still inside and where they might be
- Tell them where the fire or alarm is, if you know
- Give them keys, access cards and the fire safety plan
- Keep the entrances clear and stop people going back in
Nobody re-enters until the fire department gives the all clear. Afterwards, write down what happened, including times, in your notebook and your incident report.